It’s well documented by this point that I love bright and colourful tech. It doesn’t matter if it’s keyboards or game controllers, my eyes always gravitate towards vibrant designs. Because the Logitech Pop Keys range combines two of my favourite things – mechanical keyboards and fun colours – I had to try it out.
Best tested as a keyboard and mouse bundle, the Pop Keys peripherals are good-quality wireless devices. When paired together, the keyboard and mouse are great for setting up a mini workstation while travelling or as a backup for your daily gear.
First impressions
Over the years, Logitech has put just as much emphasis on the aesthetic of its devices as it has on functionality. Just glance at the company’s gaming range and you’ll see what I mean. As soon as you open the Pop Keys packaging, the gorgeous Cosmos purple boldly stands out. Without delving into gaudy territory, the colourway pleasantly adds vibrancy to your desk.
Easy to set up, both the keyboard and mouse easily connect to various devices via Bluetooth. Alternatively, you can also use a Logitech 2.4GHz USB-A dongle as a wireless connection point if your device of choice doesn’t support Bluetooth. However, only the keyboard comes bundled with this dongle, which is worth being aware of if you want to use the mouse with a non-Bluetooth device. To get you started right away, both peripherals do include the AAA batteries needed to power them.
When it comes to pairing the keyboard via Bluetooth, you simply hold one of three keys dedicated to pairing (F1-F3), making it discoverable. Then, all you need to do is open the Bluetooth settings of a compatible device (laptop, phone, tablet, etc.) and choose the keyboard. When you want you to use the keyboard on a different paired device, press the corresponding key and away you go. Using the mouse is similarly simple and efficient, making the Pop Keys range a versatile option for use across multiple devices.
Performance
Logitech Pop Keys Keyboard
Ever since getting a Ducky-branded mechanical keyboard, I’ve never looked back at using membrane keyboards. I also don’t like the current trend of low-profile keyboards on laptops, where the keys don’t sit up much from the chassis. From my experience, low-profile and membrane keyboards are easier to make mistakes on and are less responsive. Plus, they’re not as fun to use.
Promises of tactility, responsiveness, and an attractive design are what made the Logitech Pop Keys keyboard stand out to me in the first place. It also harkens back to an older era with its typewriter-inspired circular keys. These look nice but require some adjustment coming from the industry-standard square keys. At first, typing on the Pop Keys feels strange and unfamiliar due to this design choice. My initial typing attempts were riddled with errors – or more than usual, at least. After some time with the keyboard, however, typos occurred far less frequently, and I began enjoying the typing experience.
Logitech labels the included switches as “Brown/tactile”, which I found consistent with the Cherry MX Brown switches in my daily Ducky One keyboard. This means they’re fairly clacky and make a bit of noise if you’re not used to mechanical keyboards but they are much easier on the ear than Blue switches used in some other keyboards. What I like about Brown switches is the pleasant little “bump” sensation you get with each key press. It’s easy to tell when you’ve registered a keystroke, or missed one, which I believe makes for a better typing experience.
I do, however, wish the Logitech Pop Keys keyboard had an adjustable kickstand. Common in many keyboards is the ability to adjust the height and angle of the typing surface. Unfortunately, the Pop Keys only has a singular default height, meaning it may not be an ergonomic device for everyone. It’s reasonably comfortable to use, although I wanted an extra height setting so I could better rest my palms and wrists when using the keyboard. Additionally, even though the keyboard’s plastic construction didn’t feel as premium as others with aluminium chassis, it does have a bit of heft to it, which is nice.
One of the unique selling points of the Pop Keys keyboard is its programmable emoji keys. By using the Logi Options+ app on Windows and MacOS devices, you can set your favourite responses to several keys. As a basic millennial white guy, my go-to is the laughing face emoji, which came pre-programmed, but you can swap to whatever ones you use most often. To take this even further, there are eight emoji keys you can physically add and remove to the keyboard so you can remember what you have programmed at any time. Although I didn’t get much use out of this feature, I did like the emoji menu key, which brings up the emoji keyboard without needing to mouse over and select it separately.
Logitech Pop Keys Mouse
It’s clear that the Pop Keys mouse is intended for people with smaller hands than mine. Even as a portable input device, it’s too small for me to comfortably use for long periods. Its oddly flat design forced me to claw-grip the mouse, due to not having much of a curve to rest my palm on.
On the scale of hand size, mine would sit somewhere between average and large, so the Pop Keys mouse would likely fit better for anyone with smaller hands. Because of this petite design, it doesn’t take up much space, meaning it’s great for taking on trips as an alternative to a laptop trackpad.
Despite not being an ideal fit for my hand, the mouse was responsive and equally as easy to set up and use as its keyboard counterpart. It’s also super quiet, with clicks registering as a slight bump and barely making an audible clicking sound – even though colleagues will definitely hear your typing. Like the key presses, clicking feels nice and tactile, offering a pleasant sensory experience.
Like the Logitech Pop Keys keyboard, the mouse also lets you map emoji to a button press. Below the scroll wheel is a button you can assign various functions to. Marketed the most is the emoji functionality, although arguably it’s more helpful to use it for microphone muting or screenshotting.
Would I buy the Logitech Pop Keys keyboard and mouse?
I’d happily buy the keyboard as a wireless backup to my current workstation, and to take with me on work trips. It looks great and works well once you get used to the rounded keys.
Unfortunately, the Pop Keys mouse isn’t built for my hands, but I’d still get some use out of it, especially on trips with tight luggage limits.
I’ve seen both the keyboard and mouse regularly discounted in stores and online for well below RRP. They’re decent value as is, and are easy to recommend as versatile input devices when on sale.
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